kids in the kitchen

Last week, I was set up to take a meal to a family at church who just welcomed their second babe. I decided this was the perfect time to reintroduce some baking into our lives. Other than the occasional pancake breakfast and a few pies, there haven’t been many homemade goodies in our lives lately since we moved and I am learning my way around a new (totally stupid and non-functional) kitchen.

The best thing about this kind of baking is that I got to enjoy the fun of baking and a few yummy treats without having the huge temptation of baked goods kicking around on my counter. At least if they are for someone else, I will know better than to eat them. Or at least, all of them.

Because I haven’t been baking lately, it’s been a while since I’ve asked Eva to come into the kitchen and help me out. So, as soon as Gwennie went down for her morning nap, I scooted a chair up to the counter for Eva and we got to work. I couldn’t believe the difference in her ability and interest level in baking since the last time we did this together. This time she actually helped. Instead of just “helping”. She followed the instructions, listened to me telling her what each of the ingredients were and put the proper number of scoops of ingredients into the bowl. Until we got to the chocolate chips of course. I gave her the scoop and told her to pour them in, she looked at me like I was crazy and said, “I don’t wanna” and started to eat them. Bless her heart. She’s just like her Mama.

Of course, she still didn’t quite grasp the waiting concept. You know, that the cookies aren’t ready as soon as you put them on the pan so there were definitely some necessary distraction tactics pulled out in the meantime.

In the end, it was worth the wait.

  Baking with kids in the kitchen may take twice as long and be twice as messy but hey! It’s twice as fun. We’ll definitely be doing lots more of this in the future.

Crazy Kitchen Cooker

Lately I’ve had a bunch of opportunities to chat it up with my internet besties about some of my favourite recipes. I’ve received a few e-mails from sweet readers telling me that they miss my little ol’ recipe blog. And guess what? I miss it, too. I really do.

I never intended for it to go by the wayside. I never sat down and decided that I would stop posting recipes and keeping up with that little corner of the interweb. But, life happened. More specifically, Evalyn happened. After she was born, I had a break from cooking. We had my mother here for the first week, Evan’s mother here for the second week and my church brought meals for us the third week. Not to mention I had stocked up enough frozen meals to sustain a small country – which meant I didn’t really have to do a whole lot of cooking for the first 2-3 months of motherhood.

Which, I might add, was ah-may-zing.

By around the 6-8 week mark, though, I was ready to start getting back into my kitchen, so I gradually did. And since then, I have been cooking. Much to your surprise, I’m sure. I cook and/or bake on an almost daily basis and I do my best to try a new recipe or two every week or so.

But? The thought of snapping photos, writing up recipes and steps, and keeping track of what I’ve posted and haven’t posted? Daunting. Absolutely daunting. My meal prep is often done in the morning while Evalyn naps and the rest of the cooking is done here and there throughout the day whenever I get a chance. To remember to grab my camera for a shot of every step? Impossible. And, heck, I hardly find the time, energy, or motivation to keep up with this blog, that I just don't see myself getting back to Lucy’s Kitchen anytime in the near future. But, I do miss it.

Which is why I have decided, that after Evalyn’s birthday is over with and once I get myself settled into our new routine, I am going to try my darndest to start a weekly recipe feature here. On this blog.

Posting one recipe a week certainly doesn’t seem as daunting as keeping up with a regular, every day cooking blog. Besides? If I have nothing new to share, I will dig from my archives and pull out some of the old faithfuls.

So, friends, keep your eyes peeled – because this Crazy Kitchen Cooker is comin’ back at ya.

I Rock

Sometimes I find myself wandering around the internet – checking out blogs, looking at people’s pins, reading tweets – and I find myself feeling inadequate. Because I can’t do what she does. Or I don’t look as pretty as she does. Or I’m not as talented as she is. Today that happened. I was fiddling around with some things for Eva’s first year photo book and birthday party and I flipped. I had an idea in my head but I could not seem to figure out how to execute said idea. So, instead of being rational and taking a breath, trying again, or perhaps asking for help. I just quit. I deleted what I had been working on and quit. Because I couldn’t do it. Sure, what I was trying to do may have been easy for you or you or you. But it wasn’t easy for me and that made me feel like crap and made me feel jealous of people who are “better” than me.

But, after getting my booty smacked by a few good friends and an unexpected, encouraging text from my hubby telling me how good the cobbler I baked last night was – I realized it’s time to turn this around. Who cares if I’m not good at x,y or z? God gave me talents, skills and abilities. Some of them I appreciate but unfortunately, many of them I don’t.

I wish I was athletic. I wish I could sing. I wish I was more artistic and creative. I wish I was more talented on the computer. I wish, I wish, I wish. But enough wishing. It’s time to stop. Because? I rock.

I rock at cooking. I feed my family good meals most nights of the week. Sometimes we get take out. Sometimes I make chicken fingers. But mostly? We eat good, homemade meals.

I rock at baking. I can make a mean apple pie. My pastry is probably better than anything you’ve ever tasted in your life. My brownies? You’ll die if you eat them. My husband makes sure to keep this talent of mine well-tuned.

I rock at organization and efficiency. I thrive on to-do lists. I think about what needs to be done on any given day and I do it.

I rock at memorization. I have the world’s most ridiculous memory. I can remember bizarre details about events – such as the clothes someone was wearing, the food we were eating or the exact words of a conversation. Sometimes my husband wishes I didn’t have this kind of memory, but it serves me well.

I rock at research and learning. I exceled in my undergrad and graduate programs.Sometimes I forget it, but I am a well-educated woman with a Masters degree in a research field. I have two completed theses under my belt. 

I rock at keeping my house. It may not be absolutely spotless at all times, but it’s tidy, it’s comfortable and it’s our home.

I rock at making my bed every single morning.

I rock at changing cloth diapers. I can get that girl’s diaper off, booty wiped, new dipe on, cover on, clothes back on, diaper rinsed and in the diaper pail faster than you can say POOP.

I rock at singing The Little Birdie song, doing stinky feet and playing with the shape sorter.

I rock at being Eva’s mom.

So, there. I said it. I rock. I may not rock in all the ways I wish I could but I rock in the ways God intended me to. And that’s what matters.

So, come on. Spill it.

What do you rock at?

My Saturday Morning Scene

There are no words necessary to explain the Saturday morning scene at my place today.

Just be jealous. Be very jealous.

Hop on over to Katie’s to see the scene.

You Done Good, Friend

Remember this post? Well, probably not, since many of you didn’t read my blog way back then.

I wrote it on March 17, 2010 – the day my breadmaker died.

Fortunately, later that week, my Fabulous Dude was able to fix the machine and get her workin’ again for me.

And once again, the delicious smell of homemade bread filled our home.

Until last Saturday when we were having a few of our friends over for dinner and I attempted to make braided bread to go with our chicken tortellini.

When the dough cycle completed, I lifted the lid to begin to knead and shape the dough but, sadly, what I saw was in no way, shape or form something that I would call acceptable dough.

It was crumbly and in little pieces. Clearly, it had not mixed properly.

This weekend, the Dude took a look at the machine to see what was up.

And then, he delivered the most heart breaking news.

My breadmaker has reached a point of no return.

Sadness.

As I say goodbye to my faithful companion, all I can say is, “You Done Good, Friend”.

Because my trusty sidekick stuck with me for the entirety of two years and one month. And although that may not seem like very long, for a machine that was used at least 2-3 times per week, I’d say it’s pretty good.

I would say I got my money’s worth (er, um, my mother-in-law’s money worth – Christmas present!).

This is the machine that transformed our home from one that consumed a ridiculous amount of store bought bread products to one that consumes mostly homemade products. In fact, for the entire year of 2009, the only thing we ever purchased was one package of tortillas and one package of bagels. Every other bread product we ate in our home was made in my trusty little machine.

So now, I will begin looking for a new machine to take up residence in the empty corner of my kitchen where my old bread machine once stood.

The search is on!

Christmas Baking

My mom and dad are heading down to visit today so that my Mom and I can do our Christmas baking. Then, tonight, Eva is staying home with Daddy and Grandpa while Mommy and Nana go to see Harry Potter! I am SO excited.

Since I’ve been busy getting ready to do Christmas baking, I didn’t have a chance to write a real post so I thought I would just republish a post I wrote two Christmases ago about Christmas baking.

~~~

It's that time of year. I can hardly believe that Christmas is only two weeks away. As we all know, this time of year has a way of getting rather expensive rather quickly. If you are like me and you enjoy having a variety of baked goodies kicking around during the holidays, this can end up being an added expense. So, with the help of my father, last night I devised a strategy to cut back costs on Christmas baking. There are five steps you need to take to significantly decrease the expense:

1. Plan - make a list of all the things you are going to bake. Try to choose a number of recipes that include the same ingredients. For example, if you have a recipe that calls for 1 cup of chocolate chips (1/2 a bag) then try to find another one that calls for 1 cup as well so you can maximize that purchase. Once you have a list of all of your recipes, make a list of the ingredients you will need so you are sure to get everything required and avoid unnecessary purchases.

2. Drive - Travel a short distance to the house of an unsuspecting woman, who also likes to bake. Mothers and mother-in-laws work perfectly.

3. Scrounge - Sift through the cupboards of this unsuspecting woman while she is at work to see which ingredients she already has in her cupboard and then cross said ingredients off your list.

4. Shop - Have the unsuspecting woman accompany you to the grocery store to pick up the rest of your supplies where she will undoubtedly pay for the entire purchase.

5. Enjoy a day of baking with the unsuspecting woman, who, upon completion, will tell you that this is far too much baking for her to keep around the house for the holidays and send half of it home with you.
I estimate this plan will save you anywhere between $30-80 per year (depending how much you like to bake). There you have it. It has worked for me for the past three Christmases. It's foolproof.

~~~

The only trouble is – this year with my Mom coming here … I am the unsuspecting woman!

Christmas Baking

Christmas would not be Christmas without a whole bunch of sweet goodies to indulge in! Every year, I get together with my mom to do our baking. We got together last week and baked like crazy people for the day to put together tins and tins of goodies. Although we sometimes change up our repertoire, we have essentially perfected our Christmas baking list and make the same things year after year.

Introducing the star characters in Lucy and her Mumma's Christmas Baking Adventure...
(click on the recipe name or photo to see the recipe)

Tingalings

ShortbreadRice Krispie Roll

White Chocolate Mint Raspberry Bark

Raspberry Chocolate Crumble Bars

Peanut Butter Balls

Almond Bark

Chocolate Coated Almond Toffee

So come on over! Eat some sweets! SAVE ME FROM GAINING A MILLION POUNDS!

My Christmas baking ideas are being linked up at Exemplify Online's Christmas Recipes, The Mom Creative Cookie Exchange, Kara's Kitchen Creations, The Newlywed's Holiday Treats Week, at Kelly's Show Us Your Life: Christmas Baking Edition, The Holly Bloggy Christmas Bash Recipe Edition and The Ultimate Recipe Swap Christmas Desserts Edition

Adventures in Gingersnap Land

I usually keep all the food talk on the other blog but sometimes, there's something you've just got to share. If you are a reader of Lucy's Kitchen, you may have noticed that I posted a recipe for gingersnaps this morning. The readers over there only got to see the recipe and the final product of gingersnap cookies. What you get to see is the adventure that ensued along the way.

Last summer, I spent three and a half weeks with my sister and her hubby as they welcomed their first child into their home. Fortunately, or perhaps unfortunately, they lived in a little village at that time, right across from the beauty that is a chocolate factory. You can best believe that me and that chocolate factory became good friends. One of my favourite treats from there were Chocolate Covered Gingersnaps. Gingersnaps are my favourite cookies, chocolate is my favourite everything, and the combo is killer.

I guess because it's been a whole year since I've had a chance to visit this shop (my sister, hubby and nephew moved to a different location shortly after my visit), I have started dreaming about these treats ... wishing my taste buds could experience them once more.

These dreams, combined with the fact that I'm preparing for my BFF's homecoming after her year long adventure in Scotland by compiling a host of welcome home goodies that will leave her thinking "Why did I ever leave this place?", (shh, don't tell her - except she'll know since she reads my blog - rats) led me to set out in an attempt to re-create these delicious chocolate covered yummys at home.

Well, my pretties. Let me tell you, this was an adventure. All was well as I began creating the recipe I had adapted from numerous sources (Side note: Despite the fact that gingersnaps are on the top of my list I have never made them. People always make them for me). So, like always, I searched my recipe books and the internet and came up with something that I thought sounded reasonable.

I started by boiling the molasses, adding the sugar, egg and baking soda. All was well with the world.

Then I tried to mix the dry ingredients together. I could not open the cinnamon jar. When it's humid here, it expands and makes it impossible to open it. I should have stopped right there. But, instead I pressed on. Hence the fact that my posted recipe calls for nutmeg rather than cinnamon (although I must say - it added a nice flavour).

Oh, well, I thought. Cinnamon or no cinnamon, the show must go on. I stirred the dry ingredients into the wet and was left with gingersnap soup.

Seriously, this stuff was the consistency of cake mix. There is no way I was going to be able to shape cookies out of this. I kept adding flour until finally the dough came to a consistency that somewhat - I emphasize, somewhat - resembled cookie dough. It was at this point that I thought I had failed. (I ended up adding more than double the original amount of flour I had thought I would need - what was I thinking?)

But wait! There was still hope. I decided to transfer the dough into a pie pan thinking that if I couldn't make chocolate covered gingersnap cookies I would make chocolate covered gingersnap pie. You like the way I think, don't ya? So I got the dough into the pie plate, looked at it and thought, "No, Lucy. You are NOT a quitter. You're not giving up just yet". I put the cookie dough/soup filled pie plate into the fridge and decided to take a little break from the cookie baking process to clear my head.

Much to my pleasant surprise, when I returned an hour later, my gingersnap cookie dough/soup had transformed into full-fledged gingersnap cookie dough. The mission was saved! Or so I thought. I broke off a portion of the dough and began attempting to roll it out on a slightly floured surface so I could get it into shapes. Oh, did I forget to mention that the chocolate covered gingersnaps from the chocolate factory were heart shaped? Well, they were. And so mine also had to be heart shaped. They could be no other shape. Duh.

So, I tried rolling, I tried patting and I tried smooshing. I was left with a huge mess and a big glob of dough all over my hands, face, cupboards, shorts, shirt ... you get the picture. You see, the chilled dough was great but as I worked with it on the counter it seemed to get un-chilled, causing problems to ensue. I attempted to clear out my fridge so I could climb on in and work with the dough there, but that just didn't work. Then I had an idea. I'll punch out the hearts on the silicone baking sheet, then I won't have to worry about picking them up and moving them. Fail. Every time I punched a stupid little heart and tried to remove the excess dough surrounding it I was left with a blob of poop coloured cookie dough.

For every one heart shaped cookie that looked decent, there were five or six that I had to smoosh up and cut again. I finally discovered that rolling them in flour was not the key. The secret was in the sugar. So, each little piece of dough I broke off from the main chunk was rolled in granulated sugar, flattened with the palm of my hand and shaped into a cutsie little heart. Finally, after much frustration, I somehow managed to fill the entire cookie sheet with tiny little heart cookies. Whoo hoo! Success.

So, I baked them and when they came out, they looked like heart blobs. No longer cute little hearts. Just fat blobs that sometimes resembled a heart. I guess I forgot that cookies expand and change shape in the oven. But, did I give up? Of course not ... I STILL kept trying to cut them into hearts. I even tried making some into bigger hearts but let's not even go there. I ended up with two pans worth of "heart" shaped cookies before I finally gave up on the cookie cutters. To put this in perspective, I had been working on these cookies for about three hours by this point. But they HAD to be hearts, don't you get it?

Finally, after two baking sheets of hearts and much frustration, I gave in and formed the rest of the dough into boring old circles and flattened them on the pan.

Once all the cookies were baked, it was finally time to complete the step I had been waiting for all my life - covering them with chocolate. So, I melted me some chocolate and then picked through the heart shaped cookies to find the ones that looked the most like hearts. I started dipping them in the chocolate, put sprinkles on some and then placed them on a sheet of parchment paper. I stood back to admire my work.

And then I laughed.

Six freakin' chocolate covered cookies? Are you kidding me? All that work for SIX? I ate them all in one sitting and I vowed to never do this again. Sorry, BFF, no chocolate covered gingersnaps for you.

P.S. Just in case you were wondering, the cookies themselves were actually quite good. I will be making them again, I will just remember to chill the dough and I will be skipping the cookie cutting and chocolate covering part and sticking to rolling each ball in sugar and flattening it on the pan.

The Part-ay!

This weekend was spent celebrating my nephew's first birthday. He slept through most of his party but he managed to make an appearance just in time for the best part - cake and presents!

My mom made a cute truck cake for him (and, yes, she also made black forest cake for her favourite child the rest of us). Growing up, choosing what cake Mom would make for my birthday was always a highlight. Now that she's a grandma she's looking forward to getting back into the caking making groove. Next time I go home, I plan on sorting through some photos so I can show off some of the cakes she made me as a child. She claims she is out of practice and as a result, her truck had a flat tire. I think it looked just great!

At first little H wasn't quite sure what to make of this birthday cake thing but he quickly got the idea. I love how these pictures document the progression through his first birthday cake experience.

Unfortunately, there is only so much partying that a little boy can handle. I think this last picture says it all...

...And I'm spent.

Menu Plan Monday

It's so hard to believe that July is already here! After being away for most of last week, I'm doing my best to get back on track with my regular cooking and baking. If you've been over to Lucy's Kitchen lately, you will have noticed that there has not been much going on there over the past week or so. I'm hoping to change that this week ... but not for long because starting Friday I'll be away for another week and a bit. Crazy summer days!

Other than a new tortilla recipe

Rice and Beans

Onion and Black Pepper Bread
and another shot at Apple Cinnamon Muffins

...nothing new has been going on. Hmm, now that I write that down, it does seem like a lot but it sure didn't feel like a lot.

Here is the plan for this week...

Sunday
BBQ with Friends from church

Monday
Chili
Mexican Cornbread

Tuesday
Western Omelets
Toast

Wednesday
Chicken Tortellini Alfredo** (this is one of our favourites but I just realized I have not made it since I started my cooking blog)

Thursday
Chicken and Corn Chowder** (this is something like the fourth week in a row that this recipe has been on the menu but things keep getting in the way of me making it. I am determined to try it this week)
Bread Sticks

Friday
Gone away for another week!

Saturday
Gone!

Breakfasts
Cherry muffins
Apple muffins
Fruit smoothies
Cherries

Lunches
Leftovers
Ham sandwiches
Cherries

Snacks
Cherries
Cherries on ice cream
Cherries in a bowl
Cherries on a plate
Cherries
Cherries
Cherries
Black Forest Bread
Whole Wheat Cherry Scones**

**recipes will be posted at Lucy's Kitchen

Head over to I'm an Organizing Junkie for more menu planning ideas!

Menu Plan Monday

Well, I guess it's about time for me to get back on the menu planning wagon. Last week was a complete write off. With a combination of me just returning from vacation, the fabulous dude working an obscene amount of overtime and a few nights that we were out with friends and family for dinner, I have hardly cooked since I got home - aside from a horrible loaf of Rye bread that ended up in the garbage. Tear. I am dying to cook. Seriously, I feel like I am in with drawl. This week isn't going to be very different from last as the fabulous dude is going to be at work every single night. However, I have decided that I have to stop eating junk just because he isn't home for dinner and so I will cook dinner as per usual and he can eat when he gets home.

Today is a holiday here in Canada. The hubby is at his folks place working on their roof and won't be home until late tonight so I am just relaxing at home. Last night, I went to a good old fashioned slumber party with her and her and her. We stayed up too late, ate too much food and laughed a lot. There was even a trip to the grocery store in our PJ's. Today, she and I went for a really long walk and spent most of the day together. It was nice. Girlfriends are nice. Therefore, nothing on the menu for today.

So here's the menu for the rest of this week:

Tuesday: Ground beef wellington, maple honey roasted potatoes, roasted asparagus

Wednesday: Curry chicken bites, rice, lemon pepper asparagus

Thursday: Greek feta burgers, tzatziki (I give up trying to spell that) sauce, pitas, and sweet potato fries

Friday: Hot pockets to go (we'll be heading back to his parents so he can finish the roof and I can love up my nieces)

Lunches: Hot pockets, cold meat sandwiches, Greek salads

Snacks: Granola bars, homemade granola and yogurt, fresh fruit

Head over here for more menu planning ideas.

Day Dreaming...

I spent this morning marking exams and then went out for a lovely run/walk with the dog around noon. Honestly, it would have been more of a run than a walk if the dog hadn't gotten tired and refused to run. Seriously, shouldn't it be the other way around? Let me tell you, I was so pumped to wear Capri's and to have to tie my jacket around my waist because I was too hot. Could it be? Is Spring really here?

I have spent the rest of the afternoon in the kitchen getting things ready for my party tonight. All the girls in my class are coming over for the evening and little does ONE of them know, it's actually a surprise Bachelorette party for her as she is getting married in a few weeks.

As I began the process of preparing Taryn's Black and White Cheesecake Squares, I started battling with my hand mixer. Whenever I use this thing it results in frustration, dough flying everywhere and me giving up and mixing by hand. During this bout of frustration I started day dreaming ....

My thoughts began fluttering as I pondered the day when mixing will be easy. The day when I will find joy in scraping the batter from the side of the bowl. The day when all of my ingredients will remain inside the bowl rather than on my shirt, my cupboards, my walls and my floor. In my dreams I had a vision of the perfect mixer.

Someday, Sweet Baby, you will be mine. But for now, it's back to reality.

I'm off to cut out construction paper bikini tops. Yes, we are most definitely playing "Pin the Boobies on the Groom" tonight.

Psst..Don't forget to enter my giveaway!

Q&A - Answers Part Two

The questions have kept coming and so will the answers. This is a blast. You can see my answers to the first round of questions that readers asked me here. As long as you keep asking, I'll keep answering.

Holly asked: "What are you doing your graduate work in, and what are your career plans when you're done?"

Answer: I am currently working on a Master of Arts degree in Child and Youth studies. What exactly is that, you ask? Well, I'm not sure. It's an interdisciplinary department that explores children and youth through the lenses of psychology, sociology, anthropology, cultural studies, media studies, women's studies etc. My research kind of takes on the sociological/cultural studies/media/women's studies approach and looks at "Smart Girls" in high school. Specifically, I look at how two dominant ways of speaking about girls (as either victimized and oppressed and as empowered and confident) shape their experiences in their classrooms. It's all quite interesting to me. My career plans? Don't ask. I really don't have a clue what I'm going to be when I grow up. The program is not an education degree. After my undergrad degree in Child and youth, most people go on to teacher's college but after working as an assistant in a JK/SK class and doing placements in primary school, I decided teaching is not for me. There are many options available with my degree but I haven't really narrowed in on where I want to go. So, we'll see where the Lord takes me once this step is done.

Anon asked: "What is your favourite Sunday of the month? The first, second, third, fourth or if you're lucky, fifth?"

Answer: Well, that's obvious. The fifth one of course. Thanks for asking.

Anon asked: "Who do you think is a better person? Katie or Amy?"

Answer: Depends on who is the one asking all these strange questions. Whichever one is asking, the opposite one is a better person.

Anon asked: Where does your sister fit into your description of best friends? Or is she in a class all on her own?

Answer: I have no idea what this really means but I'm going to go with a class of her own. My sister is bizarre and she can't be compared to anyone else. But she does rock my world.

Kristin (my sister) asked: "If you could do one thing with your nephew what would it be?"

Answer: At this moment? Snuggle and dance with him. I miss that lil gaffer so much. Eight hours is too far apart. At any time during my life? I would love to take him to the zoo someday.

Snow White asked: "What is your favorite ingredient to cook with? What's your most loved cooking tool in the kitchen?"

Answer: My favorite ingredient is mushrooms. I put mushrooms in nearly every main dish I cook. If the recipe doesn't call for mushrooms, I find a way to add them. I'm sure you're not surprised about this answer if you read this post. A close second is cumin. It is my absolute favorite spice. Oh yeah, and chocolate is pretty grand as well (as I devour a Dark chocolate mint lindor from my secret stash). My most loved cooking tool in the kitchen...? How dare you ask me to choose just one. I wouldn't want to hurt the feelings of any of other things. I actually use most(all) of my "special" kitchen tools and appliances. I think that's just because I have tons of cupboard space and so everything is easily accessible. In our old place, a lot of my not-so-common kitchen tools were in storage and I hardly ever lugged them out. But here, I have everything within reach. So, my most loved ... I think I have to go with ....

...the bread machine. To the rest of my precious kitchen tools/appliances/gadgets, please know that Mama still loves you.

I hope you all have a fantastic Easter weekend. Enjoy your time spent with your family and friends and don't eat TOO much! We are spending the long weekend with the FD's family. He was going to go on his own and I was going to stay home to get some more work done but a few nights ago our 2 1/2 year old neice called to talk to me and said "I love you to my house now". I think the translation is "I'd love for you to come to my house please". Who can say no to that cuteness?

Menu Plan Monday

Even though I've talked about how I menu plan, I've never actually posted my weekly plans on here. I decided to give it a try. Since I wrote my last post on menu planning, I have switched back to weekly planning as opposed to monthly planning. It's easier to keep up with sales and new recipes I want to try.

Here's the plan for this week.

Breakfasts
Blueberry Bran Muffins (Thanks, Mom)
Mocha Bagels
Shreddies (Yuck! Husband's choice)
Fruit Smoothies

Lunches
Me - Greek salad, turkey sandwiches, soup
FD - Leftovers, turkey sandwiches

Dinners
Monday - Turkey pot pie and spinach salad with corn and black beans

Tuesday - Chili and cornbread (check out an alternate version of this recipe made by Snow White here)

Wednesday - Beef and Noodle Bowl from Snow White

Thursday - Pesto Alfredo Pasta, Ciabatta bread (if I have time)

Friday - Chicken Stir Fry and Rice

I realize I don't have (m)any of these recipes posted, so let me know if anything sounds appealing and I will be sure to post the recipe. If there are no requests, I will just post whichever ones I feel like posting. Head on over here to see what others are cooking up this week.